BOSTON, Mass. – After earning the No. 4 overall seed and advancing to the semifinal round at the 2022 Hercules Tires Big South Men's Basketball Championship, USC Upstate men's basketball has been selected to participate in The Basketball Classic presented by Eracism as the bracket was announced Sunday evening.
The Spartans travel to Appalachian State Tuesday for the first round of the TBC with tip-off time set for 6:30 p.m. ET. The Mountaineers enter Tuesday's game 19-14 on the season, advancing to the semifinal round of the Sun Belt Tournament.
"I'm so excited for our student-athletes that we've been selected to participate in The Basketball Classic and we'll be able to continue our season and keep playing into March," said Director of Athletics
Daniel Feig. "Anytime we can participate in the postseason and play in March it is special, and I couldn't be prouder of our student-athletes and coaches given all of the adversity we've been through this season. I hope our fans and supporters will come out in large numbers to support the Spartans as we make a postseason run!"
The selection marks the fifth all-time national postseason tournament appearance for the Spartans since joining the NCAA Division I ranks ahead of the 2007-08 season. The 2021-22 season marks the first appearance in the TBC an event that replaces the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament—an event Upstate has competed in four times (2011-12; 2013-14; 2014-15; 2016-17)—following the latter event's cancellations in 2020 and 2021.
The Spartans enter the 2022 TBC holding a 2-4 overall record in the CIT/TBC, last competing in the event during the 2016-17 season. Tuesday's game also marks just the second road game for Upstate in the CIT/TBC as five of the Spartans' six previous games in the event were played at the G.B. Hodge Center.
Tuesday's MatchUP
March 15, 2022 | 6:30 p.m. ET
USC Upstate (14-16; 10-6 Big South) at Appalachian State (19-14; 12-6 Sun Belt)
Holmes Convocation Center | Boone, N.C.
D1 Era Postseason History
2011-12 (CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament)
First Round (Spartanburg, S.C.): March 15, 2012, vs. Kent State (W, 73-58)
Second Round (Norfolk, Va.): March 18, 2012, vs. Old Dominion (L, 65-56)
2013-14 (CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament)
First Round (Spartanburg, S.C.): March 19, 2014, vs. Towson (L, 63-60)
2014-15 (CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament)
First Round (Spartanburg, S.C.): March 17, 2015, vs. James Madison (W, 73-72)
Second Round (Spartanburg, S.C.): March 21, 2015, vs. UT Martin (L, 60-49)
2016-17 (CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament)
First Round (Spartanburg, S.C.): March 16, 2017, vs. Furman (L, 79-57)
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